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9 Comments

Teresa Paulson
on September 19, 2017 at 12:06 pm

Hello: I purchased a SCOBY from you through Amazon. The kombucha never carbonated while it was in with the SCOBY or after I put it in bottles. I started a second batch after bottling the first batch last week. I just looked at it and found a layer covering the top of the tea but that layer had some blue mold growing on it. I discarded that and put the tea back in the cabinet. I think I may have received a bad SCOBY? What do I do?

Jacob
on September 19, 2017 at 1:44 pm

If mold appears in your tea, it doesn’t mean the SCOBY was bad. Usually is A PH problem. Adding some extra vinegar should prevent mold from growing. Happy growing!

Terri
on September 19, 2017 at 2:04 pm

What do I need to do then? Do I scrap this batch (it doesn’t smell, I removed the layer on the top with the blue mold) and start a new batch with the same SCOBY? Can you help me out since I purchased the SCOBY from you and you state you guarantee the product. Tell me how to resolve this issue please?!?

Jacob
on September 19, 2017 at 2:12 pm

Honestly, how you handle the mold is largely up to you. If you feel that removing the layer of mold is enough, you could just add a little more vinegar to keep the mold from coming back.

If you’re a little squeemish about risking it with mold, you can start a new batch with the SCOBY, some tea from your first batch, and vinegar.

Honestly, either option should work fine. Hope that helps!

Seth
on September 27, 2017 at 5:21 pm

I am making kombucha for the first time. Of course I have the mold scare. I am going to be patient but I am wondering if there was a way to submit a picture of what I am seeing for some feedback. The instructions say white or brown spots. Most of top film looks like new scoby forming, but little flake like areas. I think they might be yeast colonies as there is a yeast smell, and the other hope that not mold is they are not symmetrically round like mold. Really hoping that in a few days the spots confirm they are not mold. Tasted tea, still too sweet so need to wait a few more days anyway. Kombucha was started per the instruction (explicitly) and not even looked at or moved for 7 days. Scoby is definitely alive and growing, just praying not with other stuff.

Terri
on October 3, 2017 at 5:24 pm

That’s what I was looking at as mold. I removed that top film and continued to brew, the batch turned out fine. It’s all gone and I’m here to talk about it so I guess you should be good to go too if you just remove that top layer.

Seth Thomas Nelsen
on October 3, 2017 at 5:39 pm

The little spots are definitely yeast or something okay. The scoby actually started growing around and enveloping them. The would not happen with mold. Lowering my temp and making weaker tea in second batch to try and let bacteria balance out yeast.

KAYLEE
on October 5, 2017 at 11:23 am

Hi! My scoby is not moldy but there is a tiny blue fuzzy spot of mold floating on top of a skin on the top of the tea (the scoby sunk to the bottom of the jar and it looks totally normal). The spot looks just like bread mold. Is it safe for me to just scrape that blue spot off the top and drink the tea? Honestly, it’s a bit gross, but I do this all the time with cheese.

Jacob
on October 6, 2017 at 10:06 am

It is up to you… but I would personally do the same. Has the kombucha been fermenting long enough? Often what looks like mold will start growing but be choked out by the healthy kombucha culture. That film on top is a new SCOBY growing, and it may take care of the mold. Alternatively, you can take out the mold and leave the rest of the new SCOBY to grow without it.